Sunday, 28 September 2014

On Tuesday we crossed the Humber Bridge and travelled to Alkborough Flats. We were overwhelmed by the numbers of Bearded Tits, which kept us entertained all morning. Everyone could identify the class by the end of the session. We also saw footprints of the Otter, saw plenty of waders from the hide including Black-tailed Godwits, Avocets, Redshank, Snipe, and some very smart Ruff. The other highlights were a very smart Stonechat and a female Whinchat, Jays on the hillside.

Wednesday has already been described.

Male Bearded Tit

At least 7 Bearded Tits

A Pair of Bearded Tits

Female Bearded Tit

Male Stonechat

Ditto

Otter tracks

Avocets

Small Tortoiseshell

The Thursday forecast was for stronger winds than Wednesday, plus some morning rain, so I changed from our most exposed location to the regular standby of N Cave Wetlands. As it turned out neither the wind or the rain materialised, so we could have gone ahead with Paull after all.

The morning group recorded 44 species with the highlights being Grey Wagtail, Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker, Creat Crested and Little Grebes, Skylark, Heron (a site rarity), a single Snipe, and a Goldcrest. Ducks seen include: Friday unmentionables, plus Shoveler, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Teal and Gadwall.

I hadn't been since July, so the big changes for me were the new toilet block, and the amazing growth of vegetation, plus the amazing differences of depth of the various ongoing excavations.

Comma (& Red Admiral)

Great Crested Grebes

Green Sandpipers

Ditto

Heron

Green Sandpipers

Green Sandpiper

Little Grebes

Ditto

?

Red Admiral

Female House Sparrow

Male House Sparrow

Record Shot of Goldcrest

On Friday we went to Far Ings where the best birds were a Water Rail and a Willow Tit. There were plenty of Migrant Hawkers and Common Darters, and in one sheltered area at least 11 Comma butterflies.

We don't go chasing rare birds on the course, but when there is a really scarce bird somewhere we were already going, it would be rude to ignore it, wouldn't it?

Masked Shrike (c) 2014 Mike Robinson

Redstart (c) 2014 Aileen Urquhart

Blackbird (c) 2014 Aileen Urquhart

When we arrived at Kilnsea shortly after 8.45am the car park was already half full. We walked the triangle and hadn't gone too far before I spotted a Redstart. It immediately hid behind a waste bin. We waited several minutes, and it came into the open for a few seconds each time, just long enough for everyone to get a good look at it. We carried on a little further and came across a group of twitchers penned almost in a cattle enclosure. We didn't join them, but struck out on our own, and had a look for any birds around the Church and another building, but didn't add much to our tally. There was also very little to see in the Crown and Anchor car park. We reached the river bank and could see plenty of Redshank, a large flock of Golden Plovers, a few scattered Dunlin and Ringed Plovers and a very distant flock of possible Knot. When we carried on with our walk we found a couple of Curlew, but not a single Little Egret.

Wren (c) 2014 Aileen Urquhart

Curlew (c) 2014 Aileen Urquhart

As we walked along the river bank Anthony turned and spotted a pale blob about the right ear of a distant Roe Deer. 4 telescopes were soon trained on it, and this was the Masked Shrike everyone has been making so much fuss about since Saturday morning. Eric's Kowa provided the best image in which details of plumage could be discerned. In the afternoon it was far more distant, so we retraced our steps and swallowed our pride & joined the twitchers.

Snipe

Ditto

Ditto

Wheatear

Wheatear

A trip to Canal Scrape was a waste of time with no signs of the Jack Snipe in the morning. In the afternoon the injured Redshank was there, as well as a very confiding Common Snipe, and a lovely Wheatear. I left the afternoon group trying to locate the Jack Snipe.

Sunday, 21 September 2014

Last week saw the first classes of the Autumn term. There were some light easterlies, which resulted in very dank conditions on the coast. On Tuesday we went to Kilnsea and walked the triangle. It was very dark, and no photographs were sent on to me, but we did have glimpses of a Red-breasted Flycatcher, a Wryneck, plenty of Whinchats, a Redstart and some Wheatears. There were several Little Egrets on the saltmarsh and a Redshank without a foot.

Wryneck (c) 2014 Tony Robinson

Ditto

An old photo of a Whinchat

Old Photo of a Whimbrel

On Wednesday we went to the west end of Paull Holme Strays. We had the most prolonged views of a Whimbrel on both session, and views of a Harbour Porpoise. the differences between Black-tailed and Bar-tailed godwits were pointed out, and 5 immature Gannets were seen travelling up the Humber. Siome of the morning crew went on to Spurn, and connected with the Wryneck, which looked very wet in the long grass.

Harbour Porpoise (c) 2014 Tony Robinson

Harbnour Porpoise (c) 2014 Aileen Urquhart

Black-tailed Godwits (c) 2014 Tony Robinson

Bar-tailed Godwit (c) 2014 Tony Robinson

On Friday we went to Spurn again. the visibility wasn't so good, and we couldn't find a Wryneck, but we did have decent views of our first Red-breasted Flycatcher followed by two other species of Flycatcher, some very confiding Siskins, redstarts and Wheatears on the beach, the injured Redshank again, and a pneumatic Jack Snipe from Canal Scrape hide. When we left Canal Scrape we saw one of the many Grey Wagtails in the area that day, and a field absolutely stiffed with immature Meadow Pipits.

Spring /Summer Term

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Spring Course Details

Bookings for the 10-week Spring term has started. At the time of writing there are a couple of vacancies on Thursday afternoons, followed by Wednesday afternoons and Friday afternoons. I'm afraid I cannot take any more bookings on the Tuesday morning or Friday morning sessions. If you are interested in another session, please ask. For at least 2 hours a week encounter the natural world as a completely new sensual experience. You'll be amazed what you'll find just by listening, and not only by looking! In the Spring we'll be paying special attention to birdsong. If you want help sorting out your Sedge Warblers from your Reed Warblers, and pointing out the differences between singing Blackcaps and Garden Warblers then this is the place to be. We are going to locations where you will hopefully see, and not just hear Cuckoos. We are also planning to visit sites with Turtle Doves, Redstarts and other special summer visitors. So, if you are interested in learning more about your local wildlife in beautiful and secluded venues for less than £10 a week, then this is the course for you! We visit a different local hotspot each week and identify all the birds and as much other wildlife as we can. This also includes mammals, and fungi with butterflies, and dragonflies. The course runs twice daily Tuesday to Friday. If you are interested in more details of the course, or wish to be placed on a waiting list, please leave a comment next to one of my posts or email me on mflowers81@live.co.uk

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